Darkened City
by Hitoya
Summary: Three months have passed since the cerimonial battle, and Domino City has settled down. Of course this doesn't last..


I haven't even posted up this chapter yet and this is the sixth time I've retyped it. This chapter is just the prologue and vastly different than the rest of the story, so don't let its lack of pretty much everything put you off.

Also, I'm messing with their school system, so it ends us with them missing very little school because of all the tournaments, because if they missed all that school I doubt that they'd make it to the next year.

Also this chapter has a lot of seemingly pointless references to literature. Why? Just take it at face value. I like pointless literature references.

---

I met a traveler from an antique land  
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone  
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,  
Half sunk, a shattered visage of lies, whose frown,  
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,  
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read  
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,  
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;  
And on the pedestal these words appear:  
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:  
Look at my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"  
Nothing besides remains. Round the decay  
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare  
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

-Ozymandias

Percy Bysshe Shelley

---

A hot muggy day in Domino came rarely, but always unwelcome when it decided to make a visit; and receiving its worst welcome from students getting back from their season long spring break. It was the fist week back to school and the heat was not working positively with the various students. Yuugi, trapped in the humid classroom, was slumped against his desk clothes sticking to his body. He glared at the Egyptian who sat three seats in front of him, as Malik seemed to be the only one unaffected by the heat. His gaze wandered over his other classmates as he saw how they were doing. Bakura Ryou had taken off his school long button-up standard issue sweater with just his white tee-shirt underneath making him look somewhat out of place, the only time he had ever seen him in anything but long sleeves was battle city, and he hadn't seen that much of him then. Kaiba Seto too, had abandoned his usual coat and was working in short sleeves on his laptop computer. Jounouchi Katsuya rather than arm wrestling Hiroto Honda, talking, or gouging lines into his deck as he usually did was fast asleep snoring lightly on his desk. In the chair next to him Honda also slept, except his napping wasn't as obvious. Ryuuji Otogi's hair didn't seem to have its usual elegance, actually looking rather limp and damp as he played with his dice earring. Masaki Anzu, having the relatively cool girl's school uniform, wasn't as affected by the heat as most the boys were but she was sleepy, only apparent by the limp grasp of her pencil and her head leaning on her hand. The teacher for his part seemed unaffected by the heat and unknowledgeable of his class's blatant inattention.

The young game king's purple eyes had lost interest in his classroom he would be spending much of his coming year in and took to looking out one of the two windows. Through the window he could see the combination elementary and junior high school. Kaiba Mokuba and Jounouchi Shizuka both went to school there. It was break and all the students were outside on the campus chatting happily or playing games. Scanning the school grounds he spotted the younger Kaiba brother hunched over with determination playing Capsule Monsters against another student he didn't recognize. Judging by the general light-hearted mood he could see from the spectators the black haired player had abandoned his old threat of cutting off his opponent's fingers if they lost. In the excited crowd he could see Shizuka cheering more exuberantly than all the others for whoever she was supporting. (Yuugi couldn't tell from his position)

Out the other window he was provided with a good view of the town. In the distance he could see the impressive Kaiba Corp. building and slightly closer to the school the Kaiba Mansion. The Domino Museum was about three blocks down and standing impressively in comparison to the small city houses surrounding it. Yuugi squinted slightly to make out the prominent figure of the current form of Dark Bakura. After the ceremonial battle in which Yami and his hikari dueled for the title of 'King of Games' it had come to light that the other Bakura could separate from his once host. The sennen items being destroyed each of them had received a nasty shock when they returned to Domino City Japan to find mou hitori no Bakura. Since then the spirit had been called Bakura, as that was his name in Egypt, and light Bakura assumed his first name, Ryou, as it would be awkward for the two to share a name.

Slightly depressed Yuugi put his head on his arms and closed his eyes. It didn't seem fair, he had lost his other half who had done so much good, and yet Bakura was still able to remain. Silently the teen reminded himself that it the right thing to have sent his other half into the world of the dead as it was improper for him to remain in the same place as the living. Perhaps it was Bakura's punishment to remain, or maybe Bakura was here because he still had something to do, but really it didn't matter. He was just being selfish; Yami had looked happy to finally go beyond, tired from living much too long. The fact it was for the better didn't stop the small teen from missing the long dead pharaoh.

A bell rang to signal the end of the period. The sleeping and sleepy abruptly were jolted back to reality by the shrill high-pitched noise. The teacher's monotonous droning stopped and he packed up his teaching materials and exited the classroom to go to his next class where he would be required to teach. The minute the teacher left the room they quickly crowded into groups as they always did to talk to their friends. Jounouchi and Honda who had been woken by the bell leaned over Yuugi's desk half-asleep with Anzu standing over the desk's inhabitant. Otogi, Ryou, and Malik hung behind Yuugi's closer friends talking softly among themselves. After some deliberation between the three Ryou walked over to Seto's desk soon the Kaiba had stood up and walked over to the group looking separate and out of place even though he had become a semi-accepted part of the group along with the dark Bakura.

Jounouchi ignored his demi-rival and enemy's arrival and dug into the pants pocket of his school uniform. Quickly he pulled a crumpled piece of paper and began spreading it out and flatting it out so it was readable while waving it energetically. "Hey Yuugi! I got one of these things, did you get one too?"

Seto Kaiba hit the blond on the back of the head and snatched the paper, "How the hell is he going to be able know what it is, let alone answer your question if he doesn't know what it is!" He muttered under his breath, "idiot," while spreading the paper over Yuugi's desk.

The small teen looked at the paper on his desk. It wasn't an invitation letter but in reality it seemed to be more of a challenge. It even had a meet me at this time and this place on it. Someone who held something personally against Jounouchi because it was likely if they wanted to prove themselves the best they would have challenged himself or Kaiba. He shook his head and pushed the wrinkled paper back to his friend, "Sorry, Jounouchi-kun, I didn't get one of these papers."

Seto seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Yuugi because after he scanned the paper he smirked and said softly, "Finally, someone else has a grudge they've come to take action on, and I'm not the victim."

Ryou shook his head and pulled out a crisp note from his breast pocket, "I doubt it Kaiba-kun as I have received an invitation too, which is surprising as duel monsters is not my forte, but I'll show up anyway, and mou hitori no boku can help me if I need help strategy wise."

Yuugi flinched slightly at the phrase that he once used so often before recovering with a smile and grinning at his white haired friend, "That sounds like it will work! After all, Bakura-kun was always hard to beat and a good strategist even if he does have the worst luck I've ever seen." The semi-albino smiled back, glad to have some encouragement.

Otogi then cleared his throat and set a note on the table, "You can already tell that I have one as well. However mine calls for a team battle. Whoever wishes to face me wants me to chose a partner."

Anzu took the time to contribute to the conversation, "Ryuuji-san, it would probably be better for you to invite neither Yuugi-kun or Kaiba-kun."

The creator of DDM tilted his head slightly, "Ne, why Anzu-san?"

"Because, no offence meant, none of the people who have been invited to the matches are exactly world renown, but this person knows all of you and invites you; he probably expects you to invite either Kaiba or Yuugi since it's a pretty much sure thing he knows we are all part of the same group."

Yuugi felt like yelling at his friend. He'd dealt with tough stuff before, why did she think he couldn't take traps, especially since Anzu was blowing things out of proportion. It wasn't like it was a major tournament or anything; if they really had a grudge they would show a humiliating defeat publicly. They didn't even have the sennen items to worry about anymore. So with no magic and nothing suspicious what was she going on about?

The tri-colored haired teen was about to speak his mind and tell his close friend off except for the fact Otogi managed to speak before him, "I wasn't going to ask them anyways, the partner thing is just an option and I do better dueling by myself even if I'm not that great in the first place."

Malik who was standing quietly until this point put his paper down in the small pile to tell the others that he got an invitation as well but didn't have anything to say. It was just as well, for a few moments later the teacher for the next period walked in through the door signaling everyone to go back to their assorted seats.

Seemingly instantaneously all behavior showcased before their small break resumed. Seto went back to typing, Jounouchi to napping, Anzu staring ahead glassy eyed, Honda attempted to hide the fact he was asleep, and Yuugi- much to his displeasure- had nothing better to do, had to go back to being bored.

The literature teacher was as oblivious as the last. "Minna-san get out the transliterated version German book of 'Das Narrenschiff' please!" the teacher instructed her inattentive class. Less than a quarter of the students complied; Yuugi, Malik, and Ryou were among the few. The teacher continued, "We need someone to read passage --- on page sixty-two. Ah, Ishtar-san read the passage."

Malik stood up and read book in his tanned fingers, his voice halting and slow; he had trouble reading the Japanese lettering, vastly different from his native Arabic, "He stood and contemplated the inviolable mystery of poverty that was like a slow-working incurable disease, and there was nothing in his own mind, his history or his temperament that could imagine a remedy for it. He had been comfortable all his life in the way of middle class; and to them, though they furnished largely to all professions and esteemed them warmly, money-making was the career indisputably theirs, and to them, the most becoming of all occupations for a well-brought-up, well-trained young man. He was not rich, but it had not until lately occurred to him that there could be any obstacle getting as rich as he liked. And it would be very rightly- after giving due thanks to his mother and father for his education- very rightly all due to his efforts; if he failed it would be through some weak-ness in himself he had not suspected."

The teacher nodded and smiled at her transfer student, "That was very good reading; now please tell me your interpretation of the passage and tell myself and your classmates what you think it means."

Yuugi silently held back a snicker. Out of all the various things in the book that had to be the worst passage for Malik to read. The lavender-eyed teen, having grown up in a half-poverty with no education and teaching himself to read; could identify with none of it. The game king watched silently wanting to see how his Egyptian friend would take to the challenge.

"I'm pretty sure the guy who is thinking knows nothing of being poor, nor does he care judging by the first sentence," he began unsure, "He seems very self-centered, and arrogant, talking of how money-making is an advantage that belongs only to the bourgeoisie, and how he thinks he should be able to make a lot of money without doing much of anything. I'm probably wrong though because I don't have any background information from the rest of the novel."

On the other hand the teacher seemed impressed, "Nonsense, Ishtar-san you have done very well with the limited knowledge granted to you by that passage." She gave the signal for him to sit down and the tanned teen complied. Next she pointed to Ryou, "Bakura-san read passage --- on page one hundred and thirty-four."

As told the demi-albino stood up and began reading a clear voice, contrasting to the slow and accented reading of the last passage, "His reveries had turned to a painful rhapsody, some fearful daydream had taken hold of him, he was talking his madness even while solid earth was slipping from underfoot, the house shaking over head, the long flight beginning, and he could not even imagine the end. The future was a vast hollow sphere, strangely soundless, uninhabited, without incident or detail; yet he knew that, visibly, nothing might have changed for a great while; perhaps things would change so slowly he might hardly be aware of the change until it was too late."

Blearily he tried to listen to his friends reply but sleep claimed him in the heat. When he next opened his eyes the last bell had rang and students were piling out of the room. He picked up his bag after jamming his school supplies in it and walked out of the room. He quickly caught up with his group of friends who were walking ahead of him in the hallway. "Guys, wait up!"

They continued walking as if they hadn't heard his cry. Yuugi watch as they walked and saw something odd. Malik and Jounouchi were back to back and with a lurch the small teen realized they were connected like Siamese twins on their shared backs; the two walked in silence both eyes staring towards their destination while their hands encircled the others neck as if to choke the other. Ryou and Bakura walked together, and were the only normal ones in the group at first glance. But if one were to look closer, a strange phenomenon would be noticed. It was similar to what happened when one person stood with two light sources in opposite directions, they would have two shadows. However, in this case, the both of the Bakurae shared one shadow. Otogi walked forwards with Honda; both shoving and pushing the other down so they could reach the unforeseen goal before the other. On each of them they only had half a face, the other half was a theater mask, Ryuuji's bearing a smile; Hitiro's a frown. Mokuba and Shizuka walked on a tightrope both in a straight-line, their arms outstretched. Both were walking backwards but never missed a step. Seto Kaiba walked alone, with cobwebs covering his body and the spider threads trying to hold him back as he trudged forwards. A dark shadow belonging to an unknown entity loomed over him. A pair of persons never had Yuugi seen before, both male, the age of fifteen, walked on either side of the tightrope walkers in mid-air but walking as if on solid ground; somehow aloof and ignorant of anything amiss.

Yuugi tried to run after them before he realized he couldn't. His legs had been shackled and chained to the wall, his hands handcuffed behind his back. He craned his neck back to see what he was attached to. His eyes met a gold wall, pyramidal with the Sennen Eye in the center; his puzzle remade of gigantic proportions. Atop the piece sat a shadowed figure; who next to, sat Anzu, chained as Yuugi was.

The shadowed figure began to speak, "Look at my works, ye mighty, and despair!" The person in the shadows let out a cackle and Yuugi's vision faded out.

"Takashi-sensei, Takashi-sensei! Muoto-san has fainted; he's running a fever! May I take him to the nurses office?" Ichujin Hanasaki who sat next to the previously mentioned student crowed out.

All attention was focused on the fallen student who was muttering and twitching in his fevered dreams. The teacher stopped her one-sided discussion on the structure of the plot and paid attention to the student. "Okay, Hanasaki-san, Jounouchi-san, Bakura-san, take him up to the office! You are excused from the rest of class for today."

The three students stood up. Katsuya threw his small friend over his shoulder, Ichujin picked up the school supplies, and Bakura went up to the teacher's desk to get their slips which had the teachers note written on them. The three exited the room and began to walk down the hall to the office.

After the door had closed the teacher rapped a ruler against the board to regain her class's attention and continued her lecture. Once more no attention was paid to her teaching but rather the class talked among themselves and passed notes. When the bell rang to let class out, unusually the students took extra time packing so they could continue their conversations.

Yuugi-tachi minus Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Bakura gathered in a group as they walked through the hall. They unlike most the others were not talking each absorbed in what they had to do, Seto who with Jounouchi watching over Yuugi, would have to pick up Shizuka and Mokuba from the middle school, Anzu who was going to the Kame Game shop to tell Sugoruku where his grandson was, Honda who had late work to make up, Otogi who was getting a new shipment of games, and Malik who was to help his sister and Rishido at the museum for a little extra money which the siblings were in need of. They exited the high school and went their separate ways, Malik stopping to tell Bakura, who had been waiting outside the building, where Ryou was and then continued on his way.

Bakura walked down the halls of Domino High School to go find Ryou. He took a few turns down the hall and looked at the kanji at the side of a door. Seeing as it was the right place he entered. The secretary who he walked up to looked confused and spoke, "Ah, Bakura-san, weren't you already in the nurses office?"

Bakura remembered that his mou hitori no ore looked exactly like him so pitching his voice a little lower he spoke, making an effort to copy the polite speech patterns of Ryou, "Hai, I went to get my school supplies, I left them in the classroom. I'm going to be going home now but I was going to tell Jounouchi-kun first."

The secretary nodded and let him pass. Bakura snickered a little bit after he was out of her earshot. He didn't even have a backpack, and still the she had bought it. He walked down the carpeted hall, looking at the signs, 'Councilor', Vice Principal', 'Staff Room', and 'Nurse's Office.' He stopped and entered. Ryou, Jounouchi, and a kid he didn't know looked up at him. Bakura spoke to Ryou, "We have to go home, we got a letter from father."

His hikari nodded and put on his backpack. "Call me if Yuugi wakes up, okay Jounouchi?" After the blond nodded both demi-albinos left the room.

They walked down the hall neither speaking. The pair had walked out of the building before the ex-thief spoke, "So why were you in the office?

"Yuugi-kun passed out. It is most likely the heat," the other replied.

"Ah." No more was spoken and they walked in a companionable silence.

They made their way over to their apartment. Bakura wanted to go back to the museum that Ryou's father owned; he had been looking at other countries history's before he had checked the time and realized that he had to go the high school to get his other half home and give him the letter that had arrived mid-morning. Ryou on the other hand was doubting that his friend had passed out from heat; Yuugi, while he didn't react well to heat, had a fairly good tolerance for it and it was only ninety-eight degrees out, much warmer than what was comfortable but not enough to cause that sort of reaction.

They entered the darkened apartment. Neither bothered to flip on the lights as they entered the kitchen. The envelope, which contained the letter, was unopened on the table. Ryou sat down and drew a letter opener from his backpack. He flipped the blade out from the plastic hold and opened the letter. He reached inside to draw forth the letter, only to find the envelope was empty. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Bakura. The Egyptian ignored this he was more focused on the envelope. It was emitting a hissing sound as an odd darkish steam leaked out of it opened flap. The modern teen followed his gaze and let out a yelp as he noticed the gas. He dropped the envelope and ran over to the light switch. He flipped the lights on but rather than the expected result the room was plunged into darkness.

A voice spoke in the darkness starting out with this:

"Sometimes dreams are forgotten, covered in dust, and coated in dirt and grime of the ages. Still if you blow gently the dust comes off and with a little care it shines as good as new; it has not changed, it just was lost. But other times it rusts; warping beyond recognition. No amount of elbow grease or work will make it the same again. It is no longer a dream but that of a nightmare. So which is yours? Can you change things back to the way they were? Or are they rusted and broken; never to be fixed? It matters not.

The child broken and forgotten, what does he think? Deprived of companions, love, and compassion, does he remember better times? Does he forget the time before coming to think that this is the way it always was? Ask the child yourself; for he is the only one who knows, I certainly do not. Kind words he will mistrust, he does not know how to respond to the unknown. If he is taken into the light and given that which he has been deprived of how does he react? Only time will tell, only time, nothing else.

Fall into the darkened city, I am the all mighty, this is my domain. I rule all, you must play your parts, however much you resist and despise. That or feel my wrath and become that of all the others. An unwilling slave or an uncaring drone; make your choice and regret all you do, ye who I bought, ye who has sold themselves to me with hopelessness and lost dreams. Oh, you disagree; fine I will not stop your illusions but remember I am the puppeteer, you the puppet."

As night approached every single one of Yuugi-tachi had been dispatched involuntarily in on way or another.

---

There was more to this chapter but it seemed kinda pointless to have Otogi, the Kaiba brothers, Shizuka, Jounouchi, Honda, and Malik each have their own scene but if someone asks I'll put them back.

One more thing, if you bother to write a review, it would be appreciated if you took the time to say something more than, "Please update soon!" And please don't review using netspeak, or those stupid little chat abbreviations that I can never remember what they stand for.


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